The use of watercraft, such as waterski boats, wakeboard boats, fishing boats and the like is of increasing popularity. Often times, users like to attach their watercraft to other watercraft for various purposes such, as socializing and meals, while floating on a body of water. Attaching one floating watercraft to another is referred to as rafting.
While the rafted-watercraft float on the body of water, they are subject to waves, the wakes of other boats, tides, and currents that can cause the rafted watercraft to move relative to each other. This relative movement increases the risk that the watercraft will contact each other and cause damage to one or both of the watercraft.
When moored to a fixed structure, such as a dock, wharf or pier, the watercraft are subject to the undulating surface of the water. The undulating of the watercraft, relative to the permanent structure, can cause the watercraft to contact the fixed structure, which may damage the watercraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,591 to Chippas teaches a mooring device for boats that can be used to moor one watercraft with another. The Chippas device requires an elongated arm with a hook at one end and a transverse slot at the other end. The hook is rotatable between an open and a closed position to engage a cleat on one boat. A locking mechanism is also provided that allows a cleat of another boat to be locked into the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,421 to Velarde teaches a boat-mooring device that can be used to moor one watercraft to another. The Velarde apparatus is a tubular spacing device with a flexible line that extends through an interior channel of the device. The user can tie the flexible line into a loop at one end and secure it to a cleat on each of the two watercraft.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,827,924 and 8,091,499 both to Perez teach a boat-mooring device. The Perez devices both have a bar with integral clamps on each end. The integral clamps engage cleats on each of the two watercraft for mooring.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,800,461 to Gagan II teaches a boat-mooring device that is useful for separating moored watercraft having wakeboard racks. The Gagan II device has two cross members that can be tied or secured by bungee cords to the wakeboard racks of each boat. A boat extender element is connected to each cross member to distance the moored watercraft apart.